Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag: 2019 Edition

When are us book bloggers not freaking out over our books? I love the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag for giving us the opportunity to reflect on some of the books we’ve read this year. I’ve been debating on sharing my favorite spring reads, but when Kristin of Kristin Kraves Booksrecently did the tag, I knew it was the perfect time to revisit one of my favorite books tags. I can’t believe I haven’t done this tag since 2017- I’m really not sure what 2018 self was doing when it came to not doing this tag!

Best Book You’ve So Far Read in 2019:

The most difficult question of them all, but I’m going with Jenn Bennett’s Serious Moonlight! In short, I loved the Seattle setting, the romance, the humor, the family dynamics, THE EVERYTHING.

Best Sequel You’ve So Far Read in 2019:

This is also a pretty hard question because I’ve read more series continuations than I realized! That being said, we’re cheating with two okay, maybe three books. For best sequel, aka book #2, it has to be Brigid Kemmerer’s A Heart So Fierce and Broken, which I fortunately have an ARC of this 2020 release. Since A Heart So Fierce and Broken was one of more recent reads, I also can’t not mention one of my first books of the year, Imprison the Sky by A.C. Gaughen. I am really looking forward to seeing what happens with her Elementae series.

For series continuation/later sequel, it’s Elle Kennedy’s The Goal, aka my favorite book in the Off-Campus series.

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To:

There are quite a few 2019 releases I’m still dying to get my hands on, but I’m currently very excited about Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food and Love edited by Caroline Tung Richmond and Elsie Chapman. I haven’t read an anthology in a while and you already had me sold at the short stories about food part.

Most Anticipated Release of the Second Half of 2019:

The past two years I have been phenomenal for YA releases, but Fall 2019 may be the best one yet. As always, I’ll be doing an anticipated releases posts, but I may split into two for the fall based on genres. Once again, there are so many great books coming out, including some amazing series continuations and books by my all-time faves.

I particularly cannot wait to get my hands on Lauren Spieller’s She’s the Worst. I am more than ready for a YA contemporary about two sisters and its cover is such a funny, yet accurate representation of me and my own sisters’ relationship!

Biggest Disappointment:

While I still somewhat enjoyed it, I was so disappointed by The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden. Based on how much I loved The Girl in the Tower, this one just did not meet my expectations.

Biggest Surprise:

This may be a bit surprising because it was my second time reading it, but I never realized how much I loved Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins! This reread also declared it as my favorite book in the Anna and the French Kiss trilogy.

Favorite New Author:

Okay once again we are cheating with this question because we have two authors (when are the book tag police going to finally come for me?)! I think everyone’s favorite new author, but so well-deserved author is Casey McQuistion, who wrote Red, White, and Royal Blue, aka what has to be my new favorite new adult book!

I also freaking adored Lillie Vale’s Small Town Hearts earlier this year. Her writing was so atmospheric and made me crave all the iced coffee and sweet treats.

Favorite New to Me Author:

I also decided to answer this question because I freaking loved Jenn Marie Thorne’s The Wrong Side of Right and really enjoyed her 2019 release, Night Music.

I would love to be best friends with Sweetie from Sandhya Menon’s There’s Something About Sweetie. Her loved her confidence and this book overall just made me so happy.

Book That Made You Cry

A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti was such an emotional read. There was chapter in a particular that brought on a mix of happy and sad tears from me.

Book That Made You Happy

The sequel novella to Sandhya Menon’s When Dimple Met Rishi, As Kismet Would Have Itgave me so many happy feels.

Book to Movie Adaptation

Since I haven’t a watched a book to movie adaptation this year yet (or one that I can think of), I am looking forward to watching Ashes in the Snow, based on Ruta Sepetys’ Between Shades of Gray.

Favorite Blog Post of Mine

I really love mySerious Moonlight review, including my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie. It was also really fun doing my Book Bait post, since I really reflected on what kinds of book automatically work they’re way on to my TBR.

Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought this Year

Being that I just came to the shocking realization that I’ve only bought three books this year so far (this will definitely be changing come the fall), so I’m going to go with my paperback copy of Emma Mills’ First & Thenbecause I really love the cover.

What book do you need to read by the end of the year?

I promise I am only holding myself to one book for this question, which is Marissa Meyer’s Renegades. This book has been on my TBR since 2017 and I plan on attempting to binge read the trilogy when Supernova comes out in November.

What is your favorite book of 2019 so far? Did you do the Mid-Year Freak Out tag? Share in the comments!